Dear Editor:
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is a rare disease in adolescents, in whom the incidence is 0.5%. In adults, it has a multifactorial aetiology with no determining factor, primarily affects women (ratio, 2–3:1) aged 20–40 years, and in some cases its onset is associated with an infectious cause (usually viral). In adulthood, CFS is diagnosed based on clinical manifestations and is a diagnosis of exclusion (Table 1),1 and while the literature includes descriptions of differences in the paediatric population, few series present data on its particular features in this age group. The management is symptomatic with the goal of improving quality of life. Treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), melatonin, methylphenidate, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise has been proven to be effective in these patients.
You can read the full letter here: http://www.analesdepediatria.org/en/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-in-adolescents/articulo/S2341287916301168/
Source: Calle Gómez Á, Delgado Díez B, Campillo I López F, Salmerón Ruiz MA, Casas Rivero J. Chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents. An Pediatr (Barc). 2016 Dec;85(6):318-320. doi: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2016.03.010. Epub 2016 May 20. [Article in Spanish] http://www.analesdepediatria.org/en/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-in-adolescents/articulo/S2341287916301168/ (Full article)